open discussion

Open Discussion (September 25, 2022)

Posted on by 71 Comments

Open DiscussionIt’s Sunday, which means it’s time to end the week with an open discussion post!

To keep things civil, there are a few rules:

  1. Be kind and respectful to one another. Any harassing language will be deleted.
  2. This is not a place to state what you don’t like about me and/or my blog. Move elsewhere, trolls.
  3. Video/gif/image embedding is totally fine. Just try to limit yourself to a couple per comment. Otherwise my moderation filter goes crazy.

Each week, I’ll open with a question to get the conversation going. Feel free to chat about anything, but if you’re not sure what to write you can use this question as a starting point.

This week’s question:

K-pop is a very visual medium. With this in mind, which comebacks have your favorite looks/styling/design? What makes them cool or eye-catching or iconic?

71 thoughts on “Open Discussion (September 25, 2022)”

  1. Off the top of my head, my favorite styling for a K-pop comeback is Infinite’s Be Back repackage. I love the unifying black and white costuming. I love Sungkyu’s haircut. I love their biker gang jackets and the motorcycles and the whole storyline of that eye-catching video. I’ve been looking for a shirt like Sungkyu’s since 2014 and have come to the conclusion that it just doesn’t exist for us regular folk!




    The whole presentation just feels really iconic. Even the loungier outfits on the album cover carry on the black and white theme.

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  3. Idk how to upload images in these comments, but GFriend’s Mago is definitely one of my favorite MVs in terms of styling. The girls look absolutely GORGEOUS, it kills me. I don’t even know what to say about it, it just gives high budget and chic throughout the whole video.

    Also, SinB’s hair. That’s it.

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  4. Though choice because Kpop is a lot about styling, but my ultimate pick would be G-Idle Tomboy stage outfits. They were a lot of them and they were mostly memorable:
    Honorable mentions:


    Favorites (especially Yuqi in every outfits she wore, and Miyeon in the AC/DC red dress)

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  5. I absolutely love the aesthetic of Twice’s Feel Special era. The music video is gorgeous, easily my favorite of theirs, and the styling was perfectly matched to it. That whole era just felt very cohesive – everything was sophisticated and elegant while also being cool and somewhat playful.

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  6. Some standout MVs that register higher than normal for various reasons:

    2NE1 – I Am The Best
    4minute – Crazy
    After School – Shh
    April – April Story
    THE ARK – The Light
    BIGBANG – Fantastic Baby/Loser
    BoA – Dakishimeru
    Brown Eyed Girls – Sixth Sense
    Cherry Bullet – Q&A
    Chung Ha – X
    EXO – Lucky One
    Favorite – Where Are You From
    (G)I-DLE – Senorita
    Girl’s Day – Darling
    Girls’ Generation – Hoot
    GFRIEND – Apple
    Hitchhiker – $10
    IU – YOU&I
    KARA – Pandora
    Lee Hi – ROSE
    Lee Hyori – Black
    LOOΠΔ (JinSoul debut) – Singing in the Rain
    miss A – Touch
    Oh My Girl – Closer/Coloring Book
    Orange Caramel – A~ing
    PinkFantasy SHY – 12 O’Clock
    PIXY – Wings
    Red Velvet – One Of These Nights
    Secret – Poison
    SISTAR – Give It To Me
    STELLAR – Vibrato/Sting
    T-ara – Day By Day
    TWICE – Feel Special
    Ulala Session – Beautiful Night
    WINGS – Hair Short
    WJSN – Secret
    XXX – Flight Attendant

    …and I’m no doubt forgetting a boatload of others…

    If I had to pick one single MV… …I don’t know. How about top 5’ish, maybe?:
    BIGBANG – Monster
    LADIES’ CODE – Hate You
    LEDApple – Ran Into You By Chance
    Oh My Girl – Windy Day
    Sunny Hill – Pray

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  10. – taeyeon’s grey dress, grey hair, and grey contacts with pearls in her hair and on her glasses in the invu mv
    – all of gidle in the oh my god mv
    – sunmi’s heroine mv, especially her blue dress in the opening and ending scenes

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  13. fav kpop era aesthetic of all time? EASILY tbzs the stealer like……..the red and black styling? the 60s spy movie feel complete w heart/target motifs and that bougie hotel setting? each of the members having their own “stealers tricks?” CHANHEES TWO TONED HAIR??????? bitch i could go ON

    when the world needed hausofteam the most they vanished (also side note ive always adored the sexy 70s commercial feel of this)


    the red and black bodysuits (esp on chanhee sunwoo n kevin) r giving sexy assassins like THEY DID THIS FOR MEEEEEE

    again. bougie hotel setting. we love to see it

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eh4lEHrUMAAMc1g?format=jpg&name=large

    and ofc u know i had to end this thread w my meow meow like nothing makes me happier than when tbzs stylists put lil thingies on his face

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    • also just to clarify abt hausofteam: theyre still very much active theyre just mainly working with ive rn instead of tbz (mainly due to is(hi)t not hiring them for tbzs latest projects) but who knows? they could work w them again eventually hell haknyeon even teased in a recent live that a to boyz would possibly be coming back in the future like that shit makes me so happy u have no idea

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  14. My least valid opinions would be in the look/style/design section. In any case:
    Gfriend – Apple: An amazing era.
    Red Velvet – Bad Boy: Self Explanatory
    BlackPink – Kill This Love: Rude and eye catching
    Orange Caramel – Lipstick/ Aing: Definitely Iconic.

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  15. Here are some examples of my personal favorites:

    I love the cinematic and eerie vibes of the entire era. One of the best executed matches of styling to concept I’ve seen.

    I love the use of whites and blues against the icy backgrounds in the video and live stages. Also, the decision to have Win’s hair dyed Mint Green was a good one.

    This is probably my favorite Twice styling. I love how it matches the scientist concept, and continues their on-going maturation.

    https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/d4b5fc45-43c7-4a0a-837e-2200082e3b81/de63gks-6fb71e20-d106-445c-afea-1be07fc4df61.jpg/v1/fill/w_1280,h_1600,q_75,strp/stray_kids___god_s_menu_by_veuise_de63gks-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.L358bqLICSPtEno5NVzDU46CCKCtYG-NZ0KJTlXZANA

    Again, I love the cinematic aspect of this concept. The commitment to the chef and race car theme somehow works, despite them completely different approaches to styling.

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  16. While a few come to mind (Loona’s Flip That, Joy’s Hello, Yena’s Smiley, and Twice’s Scientist (especially the red version) are some of my first thoughts) I don’t know if anything will top WJSN Chocome’s styling for me; they always look great, and I adore their commitment to the concepts they use. I have yet to see an outfit of theirs that I really don’t like, but a particular favorite is these dresses that they wore for a performance on national hangul day in Korea with the lyrics to their song printed on the skirts!! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ej4ZyIlUYAAjZyR?format=jpg&name=large

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  17. Traditional Styling never goes wrong and always looks good
    Few examples:
    ONEUS – Luna
    VIXX – Shangri La
    ONEUS – Lit
    A.C.E – Goblin
    SuperM – Tiger Inside
    BTS – Idol
    (G)I-dle – Hwaa

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  18. This year, probably Sunmi’s Heart Burn and Chobom’s Copycat. I’m generally not that wowed by clothes alone; there needs to be some concept of interest underlying them. In Sunmi’s case it’s the epic fans they bring onstage in performances. In Chobom’s case, it’s the iconic twin dance.

    Last year, maybe Zombie (primarily concept again; tbh Purple Kiss have better clothes this year with “Nerdy”), Tail (Sunmi again), Scientist (Twice), and Luna (Oneus).

    Previous years’ shoutout to AKMU’s “How People Move,” which I haven’t seen mentioned yet. Oh, and anything recent IU does, but that might just be because she’s stunning.

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  19. Another vote for A.C.E’s hanbok-over-rock tees look in Goblin/Favorite Boys. Although my favorite outfits from them and overall are the ones from a performance of Baby Tonight. I really love the contrast between traditional and contemporary, flowing fabrics and leather.

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  21. I love fantasy so any kpop concept that mixes in elements of fantasy will automatically attract my attention. Give me mythical creatures, gods/goddesses, and/or magic and odds are I’ll be sold on it real fast.
    That being said I think my favorite concept ever was A.C.E’s siren/mermaid concept for their Siren:Dawn mini album. I’ve seen a lot of kpop photo shoots at this point and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful one than that. I mean A.C.E always crush it but that was another level. I’m also a big fan of the face gemstones kpop in general is so fond of and fantasy concepts are perfect for it.
    As an offshoot to my love of fantasy I also love any kind of medieval styling so Kingdom’s Excalibur or Oneus’s Come Back Home/To Be or Not To Be are some of my favorites as well.

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  22. Hmmm…this is a tough question because while K-Pop is certainly very visual, those impressions don’t linger for me so I don’t remember the styling after a little while…I guess the visual impact impresses me the most during promos rather than during the actual MV. For example, I loved the visual cacophony that was Le Sserafim’s debut trailers and concepts (especially the mermaid ones) though the actual MV didn’t impress me as much. I also liked New Jeans’ Hype Boy MV(s). They didn’t have trailers as much so the MVs stayed with me there and it was quite fresh. I also liked Itzy’s Wannabe era styling.

    I think K-Pop overall does a great job with the visuals so I am impressed across the board.

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  23. Music videos and comebacks are so much fun to watch – these are some of my favorites in terms of styling and MV design:
    1. Red Flavor – Red Velvet
    2. 365 Fresh – Triple H
    (not exactly the best message to endorse, but an incredible enduring video with stunning production quality)
    3. Heroine – Sunmi
    4. Sticker – NCT 127
    (hear me out – this was the cowboy comeback that K-Pop needed)
    5. Trouble Maker – Trouble Maker
    6. View – SHINee

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  27. Ooooh I love this question! Haven’t commented in a bit but I have to here bc I am obsessed with k-pop styling. If I’m being completely honest, the fashion is probably the first thing about K-Pop that caught my attention…then of course I fell in love with the music too lol.

    I could probably go on all day but here are some of my favorites:

    Twice- More & More

    Not my fave song of theirs by a long shot but I am always a sucker for a boho or retro concept. This is probably one of a verrrrryyyy few kpop mvs that have outfits I would actually wear irl. Also, those white outfits during the dance break seemed clearly ABBA-inspired which gets points from me:

    Twice in general has the best styling in k-pop imo. All of their eras are good and are distinct from one another (ie, I could see a stage outfit from any of their comebacks and know exactly which song it is easily). The 80’s power suits from ICSM are a close second look for me:

    https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/E1qcnLWbSM2AQBQTPItv/convert?cache=true&crop=0%2C825%2C2000%2C1000&crop_first=true&quality=90&w=1920

    Red Velvet also usually has top-tier styling. My jaw was on the floor the first time I watched Feel My Rhythm. I especially loved these pink outfits. True story, I went out and bought a knock-off pair of blue and white ceramic earrings because I was #influenced by the ones Seulgi wears in this mv lmao.

    Peekaboo, Psycho, and Russian Roulette are also RV fashion highlights for me.

    Sunmi usually also has really good styling- I’ve been absolutely obsessed lately with the aesthetic from Heart Burn. Again, there are some outfits in this mv I would actually wear:

    Some other girl group mvs with styling I particularly like are Mamamoo- Egotistic and Starry Night, aespa- Black Mamba (I think their styling became honestly quite boring after their debut era), Chungha- Play, GFriend- Apple, (G)I-dle- Hwaa, Girls’ Generation- Lion Heart (also gotta love the absolute unhinged styling for I Got a Boy even though it looks a bit dated now), f(x)- Rumpumpumpum…and probably a thousand more I’m forgetting.

    I don’t pay nearly as much attention to men’s fashion so I’m usually oblivious to the styling of boy groups, even the ones I really like, but a few bg mvs that have left a visual impression on me are:

    Big Bang- Bae Bae

    I first saw this mv pretty early on in my k-pop journey and needless to say I was…surprised by some of the overt sexual imagery in it, but I love it. The colors, the flowers, the wacky outfits, everything:

    Changmin- Maniac

    This is literally still my SOTY 9 months later and the mv is god-tier:

    https://kpopreviewed.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/changmin_fever_maniac.jpg?w=1200&h=678&crop=1

    Lastly, while not a real MV and quite simple visually, I REALLY love rewatching the performance video of Burn the Floor by Super Junior. The lighting concept is stunning and so well executed with the choreography, even if the styling itself is super simple.

    ….and that’s really it for me for the guys lol. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone else’s boy group styling opinions- maybe I’ll start paying more attention haha.

    (sorry if any of my links don’t work correctly!!)

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  28. Ack I just wrote a whole long-ass comment and it didn’t seem to post for some reason. I think it probably got flagged as spam bc I used too many links lmao. Sorry, I just get way too excited about K-Pop fashion!

    Anyway, I thinkkkk these were all the mv’s I mentioned:

    Twice- More & More (runners up ICSM & Scientist)
    Red Velvet- Feel My Rhythm (runners up Peekaboo, Psycho, and Russian Roulette)
    Sunmi- Heart Burn
    (G)I-dle- Hwaa
    Aespa- Black Mamba
    Chungha- Play
    GFriend- Apple
    Mamamoo- Egotistic and Starry Night
    SNSD- Lion Heart (and also IGAB)
    f(x)- Rumpumpumpum

    I pay way less attention to BG fashion but I also visually love the mvs for Big Bang- Bae Bae and Changmin- Maniac.

    Anyway RIP to my original comment and I look forward to checking out everyone else’s picks here!

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  29. For me it’s got to be be Gugudan’s ‘The Boots’ era. The styling was so on point, they all looked so sharp – sleek, confident, classy and sexy.

    Turned out the song was one of their best as well, the tune matched their look impeccably. It still holds up today.

    I miss them.

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  30. I love a lot of the styles in the comments already and don’t have much to add lol. So I’ll go for my favorite boys Kingdom! 😀

    https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQK7xnQkFBMIfnQCd3YzuPgvoIOIT6bfFTOMA&usqp=CAU

    https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR-gp-IrLfZWqU11ChGYm06dg_EcvIm0an-_Q&usqp=CAU

    And the upcoming Part Louis French styling looks gorgeous!! ❤ Also new member Hwon seems fantastic!

    https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQuI5QCfcZ0AdgOMyMaRZq-r9iZJ5M1zc2BoA&usqp=CAU

    So enough with the Kingdom gushing lol…. Another fave is Key’s Bad Love styling

    https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTZnFuLZWnjgXyIvaXXCEwwSwMsQuJZrdtwxA&usqp=CAU

    I don’t wanna spam too many pics so I’ll just say the final styling which I love – my biggest fashion fetish – SUITS!! ❤❤ I’m a sucker for suits and any kind of formal/semi-formal wear style clothes in that aesthetic! So everything from Monsta X’s Gambler to Exo’s Love Shot to Seventeen Home Run and Golcha’s Dara….. Yeah, this is my ultimate weakness.😂

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  31. SHINee’s View, Married to the Music, 1 of 1 and Everybody are super cohesive. All of SHINee’s comebacks are really cohesive in my opinion, but these four stood out the most for me. The looks & styling are consistent throughout the albums, music videos and stage performances. If anybody can pull off thematic concepts stylishly, it’s them. I still try to steal View’s looks to this day

    Also love f(x)’s military/suit glam in Red Light & red tartan in Rum Pum Pum Pum, EXO’s slick Grease/50s inspired tight pants & leather jackets in Call Me Baby and body-fitted & cropped jackets & pants in Love Me Right

    Stray Kids has also been consistently showing cohesive stylish looks in every comeback, like the modern-traditional fusion looks in Thunderous stages

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  32. If there’s one thing you can count on K-pop for, its VISUALS.
    To keep this list short, I’m gonna limit myself to one example per group lol

    BTS – Blood, Sweat & Tears:-
    When the Bangtan Boys became Men, we were treated with one of the best examples of a sexy concept, mixed with some elegance and darkness.


    I also really like their concept photos for the Japanese version:

    https://0.soompi.io/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/10221032/BTS3.jpg?s=900×600&e=t

    Shinee – Don’t Call me:-
    A veteran group comes back to show all these 4th gens how to do dark, edgy concepts properly.



    Twice – Feel Special:-
    Their first true foray out of the cute concept (I consider Fancy a transitional period).



    Blackpink – Kill This Love:-
    One of the only(perhaps the only) times BP has been able to present a proper, consistent visual concept.

    https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/blinks/images/e/e0/BLACKPINK_Kill_This_Love_Promotional_Image_2.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20190401145129
    They were, of course, preparing us for their military enlistment, with Jennie giving us Lara Croft realness.

    https://kpopping.com/documents/fb/0/1962/3(274).jpeg?v=281c4

    Ateez – Deja Vu:-
    *barks*

    https://kpopreviewed.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/ateez_dejavu.jpg?w=1200&h=735&crop=1

    j-hope – More:-
    I also really loved HopeWorld in all its colorful, fauvistic glory. But as of right now, Jack in the Box has my heart.
    https://cimg.clozette.co/img/BTS_JHope_Jack_In_The_Box_Solo_Album_Release_Date_Pre-Order_Cover.webp


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  33. Couldn’t resist, had to add some more so forgive me.

    Gfriend – Mago:-
    This might be my favorite, because it’s just so AESTHETIC, if that makes sense. They truly did the retro concept better than anyone else (and literally everyone else was doing it)

    https://6.viki.io/image/0a442f38ad684170826756c0f8663df1.jpeg?s=900×600&e=t


    https://kpopping.com/documents/89/1/1500/5fb5f2dd6dbe47395d870910-p.jpeg?v=9f49c

    Red Velvet – Psycho:-
    Concept Queens!!! I truly believe no one else would have been able to sell this concept to us.



    Stray Kids – Thunderous:-
    The kids don’t really go for adventurous concepts, but Thunderous is a taste of what they could give us if they wanted to.
    https://6.viki.io/image/c0031366916a4757842a006b45a04029.jpeg?s=900×600&e=t


    2NE1 – I Am The Best:-
    BRING BACK CRAZY STYLING!!! I Am The Best was an international phenomenon, its popularity being matched only by “Nobody” from the Wonder Girls.

    https://i0.wp.com/popasiaticojpg.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/capturar-12.png?fit=810%2C400&ssl=1
    Granted, this isn’t their most weird Era, but I think it’s their best *wink*.

    StayC – Run2u:-
    This felt like the daughter of Mago, another excellent example of pretty, glittery, sophisticated retro imagery.
    https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN4TBFJrRC4lZQ0_kVeYx0EHJhig_MA4hgeVyqpHAeoBi–2H429n8UfTdVCtz5oT_Oy6OWoEmP1jLRIpVttMZEEVC92XntQGZuAQZxMoWPTWTpPYcJNChihEF04JtnZvq4WIS1RacARY2idxVYBPfIv0WYHol1dNaPw3L-lWSFUqVLTBK0OgYQlYLtg=s16000


    Taeyeon – INVU:-
    Silver is absolutely, 100% Taeyeons color. I do wish they had leaned more into the mythical aspects of the concept, but I’ll take what I can get lol.
    https://preview.redd.it/pxkvf3uqt0h81.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5c1bf2866c008358e68991fb4b8abec525be25e

    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Q5LFJZAjaPUhLrsvdIgECdQBGIY2cPHeLB3Wh_aXpVizWwtHtLLKKqEv6kqN-9Zos9D_mIJiqJzbLVhpZlgkEnYq3w9U6q-pDgT6JRw9kZV8Xw=w960-rj-nu-e365

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  34. This is the last one, I swear!

    TXT – Blue Hour:-
    I wish Fantasy concepts would be explored better in K-pop. If any industry had the vision to be able do it justice, it should be K-pop. But alas, at least we have the magic of Blue Hour.



    NCT Dream – BeatBox:-
    Not gonna lie, I was kinda disappointed when BeatBox was released. My expectations were built so high cause the posters were EXCELLENT.
    https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b2734fbde4c63b86079e0517b1cb

    https://6.viki.io/image/7ed7ea14f6874a71a12f9c987ab000b4/dummy.jpeg?s=900×600&e=t

    I sincerely hope SM can revisit this 90s nostalgia concept with a better song in the future.

    Itzy – Loco:-
    In my opinion, of the Big 4, JYP is the weakest at concepts, followed by YG, HYBE & SM. However, they have been on a roll recently with Y2K + GGs. Twice’s “The Feels” and “Talk That Talk” are great examples but my fave is Loco.

    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3m5BF9dEDgoZaDYPuBvuE5PoAP3QLX4XhECNDoGI0gxrmtt_8YRSCspsTDr2qMoTY89zG3bUmR4vsSdHYfVeEj39Ed20dfHsihCvUtlNUeO1ZvE=w1200-h630-rj-pp-e365

    BigBang – Fantastic Baby:-
    I’m begging, on my knees, for agencies to bring back at least a little weirdness. Everything feels so safe and pictorial nowadays.

    https://0.soompi.io/wp-content/uploads/i/j/ah/489294/489294.jpg?s=900×600&e=t

    IVE – Love Dive:-
    Eleven is my favorite IVE song, but it’s concept was not well executed in my opinion. On the other hand, Love Dive gave me everything I need from them; refined, polished glamor.


    https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/624e6ac469afd82a6b8fb28a/0x0.jpg?format=jpg&crop=1676,1117,×0,y90,safe&width=1200

    Key – Gasoline:-
    Bad Love is his best Era, undoubtedly, but I wanted to spotlight Gasoline because it is also magnificent.
    https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0645/2546/7890/files/key3_480x480.jpg?v=1662717913

    And I really like the theory that this song and INVU are connected (Artemis and Apollo, Silver and Gold)

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  35. My comments aren’t showing up! ≡(▔﹏▔)≡
    And I put so much into it! Is there a reason why this happened? Maybe I put too many pics?

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  36. Okay, I clearly misread the intent of this weeks topic when I made my first post. I dumped a long list of MVs without going into specifics because I thought this week was about more than fashion/hair/makeup. My list reflected MVs that I thought stood out for fashion, but also set design, theme, storyline, etc.. So, if I focus specifically on clothing, makeup, and hair, then my list gets finely tuned.

    Note #1: When it comes to clothing in K-Pop MVs, I’m not a fan of just throwing whatever is currently trending in the fashion industry. I think it’s lazy and unoriginal. And yet, that seems to be the way most MVs go. I’m okay with using up-and-coming designers and/or off-brand styles, but when I see names like Moschino, Chanel, YSL, Wang, etc., in almost every shot, then I tend to let out a small groan and mumble something like “predictable…”.

    So, with renewed focus, here’s my list:

    ===

    Most iconic outfit (male or female):

    (G)I-dle’s Shuhua from the “Senorita” music video. Specifically, the blue/white skirt, blue ruffled blouse, black boots outfit. I remember watching that video and becoming slack-jawed when I saw it. I paused the video at the @2:58 mark and just stared. The long black hair/black thigh-high boots served as wonderful color blocks to the vibrant blue and stark white blouse/skirt combo. There are countless other times that I loved the fashion in K-Pop, but that vision of Shuhua is burned in the deepest.

    ===

    Females:

    1. Most consistent individual female fashion icon? First place: Park Bom (2NE1) from almost all of their MVs. Second place: Sunmi. Third: IU.

    2. Favorite group fashion from a female MV? LOOΠΔ’s “Butterfly”, high-waisted black slacks, loose, frilly white blouse.

    3. Overall fashion recognition for an entire female group? I can’t pick one group to take the prize. There’s been too many standout instances, so I’m going to cheat and list a few. 2NE1, TWICE, (G)I-dle, WJSN, SNSD, OMG, Orange Caramel, …honestly, I could just keep listing groups. Let’s face it, this is an extremely visual genre. If pressed, then.. ..2NE1 wins but it is a photo finish.

    4. Female fashion trends? If you haven’t already noticed, there’s a trend with me and female fashion; stark contrasts, high waistlines, loose tops. But I also have a weakness for many styles from boho to rococco. Particularly loose-fitting clothing with ruffles, pleats, etc..

    ===

    Males:

    1. Most consistent individual male fashion icon? BIGBANG’s T.O.P. takes the prize. Favorite outfit worn: the strappy, modern take on the classic trench coat from the “Monster” video; and a nod to the caped suit/hat combo he wore in the same video. I’m a sucker for trench coats and fedoras.

    2. Favorite group fashion from a male MV? GOT7’s “You Calling My Name”, leather suit with modern lines, shirtless, dress shoes.

    3. Overall fashion recognition for an entire male group? Again, I want to list off several groups, but I’m going to go back to BIGBANG. There’s just too many instances where I’d watch one of their MVs and freeze frame on a single outfit and think to myself, “Yep, I’d totally wear that!”.

    4. Male fashion trends? As I wrote, above, I’m a sucker for traditional staples. Trench coats, fedoras, suits.. ..dressed to the nines. However, I also like modern spins on those classics. The use of different materials, playing with the lines and fits, etc.. Oh, and when it comes to male fashion, I’m usually not a fan of brash colors. I like earth tones, autumnal, stark basics, etc..

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  37. tbh I still think SHINee View is the best concept of all time. It is so simple and classic in execution, it still looks modern 7 years later, it’s daring and out of step with anything the industry has done since. (This is part of the reason I was so hype for NewJeans at the beginning, Attention/Hype Boy clearly draw influence from View era)

    Other top concepts for me are Triple H – 365 Fresh, TWICE – Scientist, TXT – Run Away, Sunmi – Tail, Hoshi – Spider. I know there’s more I’m missing but this was off the top of my head. I’d like to second the comments above that miss weird or wild styling choices but as a fan since 2019 I missed that era.

    ALSO: SuperM – Jopping deserves a shoutout from me because I will NEVER forget that comeback and it’s a perfect example of kpop high camp. Is it the best? Probably not, but I will love it even when I’m 80 years old.

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  38. Everybody by SHINee. It’s been burned into my memory and personally, I think it’s their most iconic album concept/look. The song and MV are excellent too, but THESE IMAGES:

    https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/shinee/images/c/c9/SHINee_-_Everybody_-_Cover.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20180527161349

    And most importantly THE BIG HAT photo:

    I remember seeing these on Tumblr in 2013 and teenage Kpoppie me being blown away. I’m still blown away by the styling ten years later.

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  39. I remember being immediately struck by Shinee’s View – the visuals in both the MV and the stages. The young summer chic meets boy-next-door plus the blue contacts did it for me. The feel of the music video is also really different. I’ve yet to encounter one that’s quite like it. Shinee in general just has a lot of very well put together concepts.

    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/76zKxv9g3QHs-3Wkmcqrnc5P8kfRudOIpbaosYmouRmnbDJ2Y-CA-mUdcunHFnpXoQNmk4jHBe80w1raEb96Oj3Q97k8ZZiTAg96IoILHcv_JsTZ=w780-rj-l80-nu-e365

    Super Junior-M’s Swing with the black and the white and the yellow has always stuck out to me, too. I haven’t seen that one mentioned. It’s pretty simple, but sometimes simple really works. It’s all business suits and put together, but it’s loud…like Super Junior. Plus, I’m a sucker for suits. I’m also a sucker for the way Kyuhyun’s styled in this era, and as he is my absolute favorite, that helps, heh.

    https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/kpop/images/7/7d/Super_Junior-M_Swing_01.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20180411100154

    I also really like SNSD’s lion Heart. The vintage throwback looks really good on them, and all of their performance outfits were gorgeous. SNSD has a lot of comebacks that I’ve enjoyed visually, but Lion Heart stands out for me.

    There are a lot of visuals that I really enjoy, but I’ll leave it at those three.

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  40. With this Sunday discussion, we all learned how to drop in images lol.

    I loved the styling from April’s Mayday. Retro, vibrant color, and color blocking are my favorites in fashion and they combined all three.

    https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/kpop/images/3/31/APRIL_Mayday_physical_cover_art.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20170522222137

    https://kpopping.com/documents/f5/4/800/17_0_MAYDAY__(1).jpeg?v=57599

    Also I still think about this music bank stage with no screens, no lights, just everything draped in curtain. It really stands out.

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  41. Ugh, the YouTube video owner disabled playback on other websites on my previous post, whyyy? 😭 Mix stage videos can show the cohesiveness & consistencies of style concepts better.

    Guess I’ll just have to put pictures instead. I think why I love SHINee’s looks & styles so much is because they can pull off almost any style concept nonchalantly like chameleons, never boxed or look like trying too hard. There’s also a consistent sense of uncoordinated-coordinated look across their visual concepts and stage outfits.

    View/Odd

    Married To The Music

    Everybody

    1 of 1

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